


Life After Life (Year After Year)

by Raen44



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Multi, Punk Rock AU, Soulmates, Trans Blake, Trans Character, Yang is a singer, background skittles, blake does lights, junior is also trans, past-life shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25255213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raen44/pseuds/Raen44
Summary: Blake listens to a song she's heard before for the first time.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 6
Kudos: 64





	Life After Life (Year After Year)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So this is the project I've been spending most of my time on for the past month or so, and I've finally got it finished! This idea started almost a year ago and I drew from a lot of my personal experience working in a live music venue to inform it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this super-sappy one-shot that I've written. Thanks so much to bwbies and WhatOtherPlanet for beta-ing this for me!

_You're just a face in the crowd,  
_ _But I still know you somehow.  
_ _I see your face in my dreams,  
_ _And I don't know what that means.  
_

The lyrics echoed through Blake's head as she unlocked the door to the club. She'd never heard the song, or even the artist that wrote it, before today. It was part of her daily ritual for work. So much time working in the music industry, she hardly bothered to check which bands were playing at her venue anymore. Usually before coming in, she would check the name on the calendar, and pull up some of their hits to listen to on her way. That was how she'd managed to get this song stuck rattling around her brain. It was usually a good way to get a feel of the artist's vibes so she could mesh better when she worked, but today she just couldn't get those lyrics out of her head.

Something about the words, the voice that sang them, struck a chord in her. It was almost as if she'd heard them before, but that didn't make any sense. She'd never even heard of this band before, she'd checked. Chromatic Sunrise (the band that performed the song, and was performing in her venue tonight) had only been around for a year or two, and this was their first tour. Blake was certain she would remember if she'd heard them before.

Shaking those thoughts away, she slipped her key into the front door of "The Menagerie" nightclub. The lock clicked, and the door swung open. She was blasted with a face full of A/C as she stepped out of the summer heat. The two feline ears atop her head twitched at the sudden change in temperature, but it was a welcome relief from the humid summer weather. The lights were on, which meant Sun was already here. No surprise, really, he was always there before she was.

As she made her way into the venue proper, sure enough there he was. The monkey faunus was bent over a crate of audio equipment, his tail swaying from side to side as he went through a pile of jumbled cables. She raised a hand in greeting, moving past him straight to the breaker room tucked into a corner.

"Morning, Sun," she said.

"Mornin', Blake," he answered, not even looking up from his current project.

"You know anything about the band tonight?" she called, pushing her way into the power room. She flicked a couple switches in the breaker boxes, hearing the hum of fans kicking on as the venue came to life.

"Not much, they're big in Vale apparently," came the blonde's response. There was a muffled cry that followed that statement, causing Blake to raise an eyebrow.

She exited the breaker room, and was greeted to the sight of Sun Wukong laying tangled in a pile of audio cables. A smirk crossed her face at his predicament.

"Need a hand?"

"No, no, I got this." He struggled for a moment, only managing to tangle himself further as he tried to get free. "Ok, maybe a little."

Blake let out a quiet chuckle and knelt down to help him out of the mess.

\--

_I followed you there,  
_ _You followed me here,  
_ _Life after life,  
_ _Year after year._

\--

"Hey y'all, they're here!" A deep voice echoed into the club.

Blake jerked her head up from where it'd been resting. She'd dozed off slightly while waiting for the band to arrive. The lyrics to that song were still running through her mind, like she'd left a music tab open and couldn't find it again. She shook her head and blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

The voice belonged to Jeb, an older, local goat faunus who helped them out by keeping an eye on the front door while they worked inside. He was a lifesaver really, especially on days when it was just her and Sun having to put a show on all by themselves. She unzipped her backpack and rummaged through it to grab her gloves before heading out of the venue.

Sweltering summer air blasted the last vestiges of sleep from her as she stepped out into the sun. A tour bus was now parked out front of the club, a big black monstrosity with tacky flame decals decorating its sides. A small trailer was hooked up to the hitch at the back of the bus. The name "Chromatic Sunrise" was spray-painted in an array of colors on the side of the trailer. She raised an eyebrow at that.

Her attention was drawn by the sound of the bus' door opening. A large man in a suit stepped out, adjusting the dark red sunglasses on his face. Blake's face pinched in confusion, he had to be absolutely roasting in that outfit. She was just about to go up to him and introduce herself when another person stepped out of the bus,

Blake's heart stopped.

The woman wore a tight pair of jeans with holes in the knees, real holes, not the fake pre-made ones that fashion companies tried to sell. A denim vest hung over a graphic tank top, leaving a pair of muscular arms exposed, and doing very little to hide her... assets, while long, perfect, blonde hair cascaded down her back. Finally the woman turned, and their eyes met.

If seeing her had stopped Blake's heart, meeting her eyes was like getting defibrillated by a lightning bolt.

Blake's breaths were suddenly shallow. She saw the woman's eyes widen, and somehow she _knew_ she was feeling something similar. The lyrics of the song from this morning echoed through her skull again.

_In another life,  
_ _In another place,  
_ _I heard your voice,  
_ _I knew your face._

Blake Belladonna knew that face.

"Blake?!"

The moment shattered like glass, and she had to stop herself from reeling. For a moment she thought it was the goddess that had spoken, but no, her lips hadn't moved. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she came back to the present, glancing around before her eyes fell on a familiar face. One that actually made sense this time. Her eyes widened.

"Ilia?!"

The soft face of her childhood friend (and one-time lover) lit up as they recognized each other, and Blake couldn't help the smile that split her face. The chameleon faunus nearly tackled her in a hug, and she let out a laugh as she steadied herself.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, once she was able to compose herself. Her heart was definitely still beating faster than normal.

"I'm in a band!" Ilia answered, releasing Blake to gesture grandly at the tour bus. "What are YOU doing here??"

"I work here," she answered, waving her gloves slightly to emphasize her point. "Me and a friend co-own the place."

"Really?" The other girl grinned and looked her up and down, Blake had to resist the urge to fidget, "Look at you all grown up. You look great, Blake." She paused, "It... is still Blake, right?"

"Yeah, it is." She smiled, "and thanks, Ilia."

"Hey Ils, you wanna introduce us?" The words tasted like honey in her mind, and suddenly Blake's eyes were drawn back to the blonde bombshell that had taken her breath away.

"Ah shit, sorry!" Ilia's skin turned pink in embarrassment for a moment, before she turned to her apparent band-mate, "Yang, this is Blake, a childhood friend of mine. Blake, this is Yang, our lead singer!"

Their eyes had met again, and the electricity surged again. Time seemed to vanish when she looked into those lavender eyes. There was a knowing smirk on the blonde's face, and she had the very sudden urge to kiss it off her lips. She blinked. Ok, that was a bit sudden, but she really couldn't deny the absurd attraction she had to this woman. Eventually she found her voice again.

"Hey," was all she managed though. Anything else she had wanted to say was firmly caught in her throat.

"Hey," The smirk grew, and the woman held out a hand to her, "Yang Xiao Long, it's nice to meet you."

"Blake Belladonna," She took the hand like it was a lifeline, feeling the calloused fingers and palm against her own. She swallowed, she was hopeless. "Likewise."

There was a cough, and the spell was broken. She released the other woman's hand, and it felt like she lost a part of herself. The large man in the suit motioned to the trailer, and Blake was brought back down to reality. She did have a job to do after all. Belatedly, she realized that Sun had come up next to her and was giving her an odd look.

"Uh, what was that?" He asked quietly as they both slipped their gloves on.

"Honestly? I have no idea."

Blake noticed that two other women had joined them from the bus, a pair of twins in nearly identical outfits. Her eyebrows suddenly shot up when they both came up behind Ilia and smacked her ass in sync. The poor girl turned the brightest shade of pink Blake had ever seen, and nearly stumbled over from the assault. Her skin didn't shift to red though, so Ilia didn’t seem to mind. Well, something to file away for later she supposed.

The blonde goddess that was Yang Xiao Long had given her a wink before moving to help unload their gear, and Blake's heart nearly stopped again. This was ridiculous. She'd never been one to believe in love at first sight, but something about this woman threw all of that out the window. Luckily she managed to recover enough to actually do her job.

Chromatic Sunrise was a 4 piece punk band, and all of their gear managed to fit neatly into the tiny trailer behind their bus. It made for an easy load-in, and all of them were thankful to be back in the air conditioning when they were done. Blake took her gloves off and wiped the sweat off of her forehead before turning to the girls.

"So uh, Ilia already knows me," She started, getting their attention, "But I'm Blake, I handle the lights and all the paperwork, so if you've got any questions or anything let me know. Sun here is our sound engineer, so he'll help you get sorted for sound check. Which one of you guys is in charge?"

All four girls pointed at the large man in the suit who'd yet to introduce himself. He held out a hand to Blake.

"Junior Xiong," He grumbled, "Twins dragged me along to keep these girls in line."

"You know you love us, old man!" came the voice of one Yang Xiao Long. Blake couldn't help but smirk as Junior grumbled and gave her a middle finger. The girls laughed.

"Alright, well if you wanna step into our 'office' all give you the rundown."

The 'Office' of The Menagerie was really just a raised DJ booth opposite the stage. There was a counter where the lighting console was setup, and Blake had her paperwork stacked up next to it. She spent a few minutes going over the minutiae with Junior, things like merchandise cuts, ticket sales, set times. It was a conversation she'd had a thousand times with a thousand people, she could do it in her sleep. That was a good thing, because for the life of her she could not focus on the conversation. Her mind kept drifting to the lead singer of Chromatic Sunrise. Occasionally she'd hear Yang's laugh echo across the venue from some joke the girls had told, and every time it would settle in Blake's chest like a warm glow.

Once the spiel was laid out, Junior left to wrangle the band. He was quickly replaced by Sun, who was still giving her an odd look. She raised an eyebrow at him, but knew the small smile that had settled on her face would give her away.

"Sooooo... You met these guys before?"

"Ilia is a childhood friend, yeah. We grew up in Kuo Kuana together."

"Mmm, and Yang?"

"Never met her before today," The smile was still on her face, she couldn't hide it even if she wanted to.

"Riiiiiiight," Sun narrowed his eyes, but soon gave up when she didn't offer anything more. "Fine, keep your secrets."

Blake rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, Sun. I had never even heard of her until she walked off that bus." The raised eyebrow saw straight through her. "I mean, I'm like, 90% sure...? Like, I could have sworn I've never seen her before in my life, but... something about her just seems, really familiar."

The monkey faunus let out a laugh, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh my god, you are so screwed."

Blake grinned.

"Well, I mean, hopefully."

Sun stopped, his jaw dropping to the floor as he stared at her with wide eyes. She almost fell over as she started laughing. He flapped for a moment before grabbing her shoulders and shaking her.

"Who are you and what have you done with Blake??"

"What?" She huffed through her laughing, "She is very attractive, Sun,"

He spluttered.

"What- but- You! You, Blake Belladonna! You just made a sex joke!"

She shoved him, but the grin was still broad on her face.

"Cut that out, you dork, I'm allowed to have fun."

"I'm so proud of you!" Aaaand he was pulling her into a bear hug. "You're all grown up! Soon you're gonna move out and leave me all alone here!"

"Oh my god, Suuuun." Her head fell back as she closed her eyes in embarrassment. "You are such a drama king."

A quiet knock interrupted their tomfoolery, and Blake turned to see Yang leaning against the entrance to the booth with a grin on her face.

"Hey Sun, Ils is ready to patch the kit whenever you are." Her voice was still like honey in Blake's ears, making her light-headed.

"Oh shit, let's rock and roll!" Sun was unaffected by this, and bounded out of the booth towards the stage. Blake couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Yang stepped into the makeshift office.

"So uh, Blake, right?" The grin had never left her face, Blake found herself hoping it never would. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She found herself drowning in lavender and gold again. God she was hopeless. "I've got some, uh, lighting notes... if you wanna go over them...?"

Were Blake's eyes deceiving her? Or was that a _blush_ creeping up Yang Xiao Long's neck? Was this blonde goddess really as flustered as she was? Maybe... maybe there was more to this than she had initially anticipated.

"Right, uh, sure." She finally managed, certain that her own blush was coloring her face, "I um, I listened to some of your music on the way in today. So I've got a bit of an idea of what I'm working with."

"Oh, cool, that uh, makes things easier. Though I'm sure you'll get another earful during sound check-"

"Yang." Okay, she hadn't meant to interrupt the other woman, but the questions rattling around inside her skull were getting louder. Yang stopped abruptly, giving her an odd look. She swallowed and pushed on; she needed to know. "Have we... Have we met before?"

The silence between them was palpable. Even the distant noise of the rest of the band fell away as they stared at each other. A soft, genuine smile slowly made its way onto the singer's face.

"You said you listened to some of our music, yeah?"

Blake nodded.

"Did you listen to Life After Life?"

_Baby I think we're Soulmates  
_ _Baby we were meant to be_

The lyrics settled in her mind like they had always been there. Her jaw dropped.

"Was that...?" Her tongue was heavy in her mouth, some part of her was scared to say it. Yang's smile shined.

"That song is about you, Blake Belladonna."

"What- but-" The cat faunus stuttered, trying to make sense of that statement, "But we've- we've never met before... right?"

"Maybe not this time," Yang shrugged, "But... I can't help feeling like I know you. I've... I've seen you in my dreams. I wrote that song about the Black haired cat faunus I've been dreaming about for years, pretty sure you fit the bill."

Blake's mind was suddenly filled with a sea of gold and lavender. She didn't usually remember her dreams, but she often awoke with those colors lingering behind her eyelids, and a feeling of warmth in her chest. Her heart hammered in her ears, and she found herself drowning in those colors again.

"I... I think maybe I've seen you too..." she managed. One of her hands reached out to the other woman of its own accord.

Yang met the hand with her own, their fingers intertwining. The blonde let out an awkward laugh.

"This is really weird, huh?"

Blake smirked. "Just a little bit."

The sound of the drumkit suddenly washed over them, and they both turned to see Ilia going to town with a massive grin on her face. The twins were watching her with fond smiles that Blake did not miss. She quirked an eyebrow and her smirk grew.

"So what's the deal with those three?" Blake said. She was still holding Yang's hand, and doing her best not to draw attention to it.

"Eh, they're fucking." Blake almost choked, and Yang cackled. "What? I mean, it's true! I think Ils got together with them a few years ago? They kinda started this whole thing, I'm just along for the ride."

"Says the lead singer."

"Hey, not my fault the twins sing like hippos in heat"

Blake laughed; a light, rare thing. It was weird how much this woman brought these things out in her. She'd only known her for a few hours, and spent even fewer actually in her presence. But there was something about her that just made the faunus smile, made her chest fill with warmth and her heart beat fast. Maybe they really did have some history, even if she couldn't remember it.

"Well I'm looking forward to hearing you sing," she said, "The recordings hardly count."

"A woman after my own heart!" Yang put a hand over her heart with a grin. There was definitely a blush creeping into her cheeks now. "Nothing compares to the quality of a live show."

"I do run a music venue." Blake said with some indignation, "I'd like to think I know a thing or two about that."

"Well I'll just have to make sure to give you my best performance," Yang gave her a mock bow, wiggling their intertwined fingers.

Blake rolled her eyes. It didn't feel like the first time.

"Alright you," she said, finally releasing Yang's hand, "Go do your soundcheck. You can regale me with tales of your skill after we make sure everything actually works."

"Yeah, yeah, time to go to work." Yang answered with a grin, "That bus doesn't pay for itself after all."

She gave one last little wave before sauntering out of the booth. Blake realized she was smiling as she watched the woman go. She shook herself and glanced down at the sheet of paper Yang had left on her desk. It was a simple thing, a set list with a few color suggestions hand-written next to each song. What drew her eye though, was that her name was written in crooked handwriting in the top corner, and there was a little heart next to it. She didn't recognize the scrawl, but she knew (knew in some way she couldn't define) that it wasn't Ilia's.

_Me with you, and you with me_

That song was going to be stuck in her head for a long time.

The squeal of audio feedback suddenly assaulted her ears and they pressed flat against her head. She winced as she looked over to see Sun scrambling with the audio equipment on stage.

"Sorry, sorry!" he waved, turning a few knobs and causing the harsh sound to finally dissipate. "Aaaalright, that should just about do it. You ladies ready?"

The crash of drums was the response he got, and Ilia raised both drumsticks in the air with a powerful "Fuck yeah!"

The twins (Blake realized she still didn't know their actual names) were already set up on guitar and bass, and Yang finally joined the rest of the quartet on stage. The blonde flashed her a killer smile before snagging the microphone off of the stand. Sun rushed back to the audio console and a few minutes of awkward checking followed.

The Menagerie was not a very large club, and its stage was particularly tight. A four piece band was about the most it could comfortably fit (although they had certainly fit more than that uncomfortably), thus monitors and patching were always something of a puzzle to sort out. Sun had been doing this for long enough however that he had it mostly down to a science. Blake tried to help, but usually just ended up plugging things in where he told her to.

Most of her days were spent working on other things anyway. She had the whole lighting rig to worry about, and had to handle the advances for all of their shows. Sun could handle himself; Blake on the other hand had a pile of paperwork on her desk that she needed to get through. She let out a sigh and settled in to get to work on it.

But then the first few notes of the band's music hit her ears and she lost all hope of actually getting any work done. The music was loud and harsh, distorted guitar strokes and heavy drum beats forming a powerful punk style. Ilia looked like she was having the time of her life on the drumkit, and when Yang's voice screamed through the sound system Blake couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

She'd caught a whisper of their music that morning when she looked them up, but hearing it live was a whole different experience. The music trickled through Blake's mind, awakening something in her that she hadn't known was there. Yang's voice reverberated in her chest, and for a moment she wasn't in the club anymore.

There was a back against hers. The sun beat down on her, and she could feel a breeze on her skin. She heard the cocking of a pair of weapons behind her, shotgun-gauntlets she knew. Creatures of pure darkness surrounded her, but she wasn't afraid. There was a weapon in her hands too, one she was intimately familiar with. The creatures around them let out a growl that blended into the harsh tones of a guitar.

"You ready to dance, baby?"

And suddenly she was back in the club. Yang had just screamed the line through her microphone, and Blake recognized it.

It was the opening to one of their songs/It was the last thing she'd said before they died.

_What the FUCK was that?_ Her eyes were wide, and suddenly her hands were shaking. Her heart was practically beating out of her chest and she had to take a few deep breaths to settle herself. Yang caught her eye as she kept singing. A flash of concern flickered through the blonde's eyes, but she kept singing. Blake was reminded of what the woman had said before, about already knowing her, and how she'd written a song about her before they'd ever even met.

She didn't usually put much stock in things like past lives, but she suddenly found herself reconsidering her stance on the subject. An image flashed in her mind, and her brow furrowed. A frown marred her face as she pulled her sketchbook from the backpack that she had dropped beneath her desk. She flipped open the cover and ran her fingers over the symbol she had drawn on the first page. It was something she drew all the time, an image that had been in her head for almost her entire life, and one that was suddenly acquiring a new meaning.

A heart wreathed in flame was drawn on the otherwise blank page; A black graphic outlined in a brilliant yellow. Blake glanced from the drawing up to the gorgeous woman singing on stage. Somehow, someway, she knew that symbol was hers. It was burned into her mind, and the flash of something (it was a memory, she knew that) she had just experienced gave her a reason why.

The two of them needed to have a long talk once this soundcheck was over. For now though, Blake would enjoy the music of a woman she'd known in a past life. It was good music, and she found that it filled her heart in a way she had never felt before. It brought a smile to her face and heat to her cheeks. Even without their mysterious history, she knew she would have fallen for this woman in a heartbeat.

The gritty, passionate music of Chromatic Sunrise echoed through the club for the next half hour or so. Blake sat and watched the whole thing, her pile of paperwork laying wilted and forgotten on her desk.

A crash of cymbals spilled through the club and faded into the soundproofing at the back of the room. The band had finished up the last song of the soundcheck and were clapping each other on the back. Ilia had stood up from the drumkit and wiped her face with one of the stage towels, a beaming smile on her face. Blake couldn't help a small smile as well, it'd been a long time since she'd seen her old friend so happy.

Then Yang turned around and caught her eye, flashing a smile and a thumbs up. The blonde leapt off the stage and came running up to the production booth. She hopped up on one of the cases up against it and rested her arms on the barrier.

"So, what'd you think, kitty kat?"

Blake's ears twitch in mild irritation at the nickname, but it triggered something, a pseudo-memory, so she let it go. Yang had called her that before, many times. She motioned to the stack of papers still sitting untouched on her desk.

"Well you certainly distracted me from my work." She smirked. "So I suppose it was an adequate performance."

"Haha! So a resounding review then?" The grin was splitting Yang's face now as she rested her chin on her hands. Blake rolled her eyes and motioned to the door to the both.

"Get over here, you dork. I need to talk to you for a second."

Yang raised an eyebrow, but complied anyway. She jumped down from the road case and jogged around to Blake's side of the booth, coming to a stop behind the cat faunus. Her eyebrow was still raised and she cocked her head as she watched Blake flip open her sketchbook.

Blake turned it around and showed Yang the symbol on the first page. "I don't suppose you recognize this symbol, do you?" she asked.

Yang's jaw dropped as she stared at the drawing. One of her hands raised and brushed over the line-work. She pulled it back and rolled her sleeve up to reveal her shoulder. There, inked permanently into her skin, was the same symbol, stark black against Yang's tanned skin. The two of them shared a look.

"How did you-?"

"The same way you knew to write that song about me, I think." Blake interrupted, "While you were playing, I think I... I think I remembered something."

She put the sketchbook back down on the desk, fiddling with it for a few moments. The 'memory' she'd recalled during soundcheck was still rattling around in her head, and she hadn't quite made sense of it yet.

"You were right, I'm pretty sure. About knowing each other. It wasn't this time around but..." Her words caught in her throat and she had to swallow them down before letting them out again. She turned to look back at the woman she'd met today (the woman she'd known for a very long time). "I think we died together last time."

And that was the bomb drop. Yang had managed to close her mouth, but her eyes were still wide as they stared at each other. Blake really couldn't blame her. How is one supposed to react when they suddenly remember a past life? When they meet the person they were in love with in that past life?

Suddenly there was a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and a face buried in her hair. Blake's eyes widened in surprise, but after a moment she returned the hug. It felt like home. She belonged in these arms. It was so painfully obvious to her now that she couldn't understand how she had missed it before.

"Yang?" She asked, her voice quiet and muffled by Yang's shoulder, "What's going on?"

"I... I honestly have no idea, Blake." She could feel the arms around her tighten, and she heard the other woman gulp, "I mean, I've seen snippets too, but I... I never thought I'd actually meet you." She lets out a strangled laugh, "Hell, I didn't even think you were real. That was one hell of a shock."

"Well you certainly didn't show it," the grin was clear in her words.

"Hah! You sure you weren't just too floored by the sight of me to notice?"

Blake smacked her arm, but there wasn't any real force to it. Her face was heating up, and Yang's arms felt so comfortable around her. Despite everything, the strange revelations she'd just experienced, this strange and amazing woman walking into her life, she felt happy. Then a quiet cough interrupted them. Her ears twitched in irritation as she looked up to see Sun standing at the entrance to the booth.

"Well uh, that was fast." He said with his lopsided grin.

Blake rolled her eyes and flipped him off. She reluctantly pulled away from Yang, but the blonde's hand caught hers and she smiled.

"Fuck off, Sun. Today's been... weird." Without Yang's arms around her, she felt the confused thoughts coming back. Fears and doubts wormed their way into her mind. What was really happening to them? Could they really base anything on some half-remembered past? What were they really to each other? Her free hand came up and rubbed at her bicep. She'd rushed into relationships in the past, and they hadn't turned out well. This seemed different, but... She was suddenly very aware of Yang's hand in hers. And all that was without even getting into the fact that she-

"Right, sure," Sun's voice broke through the storm of her thoughts and brought her back to reality. She looked up and saw him with his hands up in surrender. "Not tryin' to pry or nothing, just make sure you two don't do anything stupid. And no sex in the dressing rooms!"

"Sun Wukong, I swear on everything that is holy..." She pinched the bridge of her nose as she glared at the monkey faunus. On the upside, his dumb comment had driven away her spiraling thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, smite me later! Doors are in 15, ladies!" The monkey faunus cried as he left the booth once more. Blake sighed and ran her free hand over her face. Her mind absently registered that she was still holding Yang's hand and she had to swallow back the nervousness slowly rising in her chest.

"So, we should uh, probably get ready. Both of us." Blake managed. She glanced down at their intertwined fingers and lifted them up. "What do we uh, wanna do about... all of this?"

Yang was quiet for a moment, glancing between their hands and her face.

"We don't... have to do anything, if you don't want to." Blake was about to say something when Yang beat her to it. "But if you're open to it... I'd like to try. I still don't really understand what's happening and these feelings I've been having, but that doesn't mean they're not there. I definitely have feelings for you, Blake, even if I can't really explain them. I mean, if nothing else, it just means we get to skip the awkward flirting stage, right?" Her grin at that was nervous, but still bright enough to make Blake smile.

Blake smirked. "But that's the fun part."

"Ok well nothing says we can't keep doing the awkward flirting thing," Yang said with a wink, "Gorgeous."

Aaaaand there went her mental faculties. Blake's face flushed and she could feel her ears flattening against her skull. She wasn't sure anyone had ever called her that before, especially since...

"I-if, if we're going to do this," She said, pushing through her anxiety, "I need to be honest with you about something."

Yang's brow furrowed in confusion, but she nodded for her to continue.

"In that... In that memory... of last time," She started, it was still weird thinking about this, but she had to get it out. "I could tell that I was... that I was Cis. This time around... I'm not."

"Oh," Yang said, "Huh, ok cool." and then nothing else. Now it was Blake's turn to be confused. She frowned.

"Cool? that's it?"

"Yeah, cool." Yang shrugged, "I've got no problem with that. Hell, Junior's trans too."

"Wait what? Really?"

"Yup, dude's been on T for like a decade now. He's pretty open about it."

"Wow, that's..." She couldn't keep the hopeful smile off of her face at this point. It really was almost like her parents all over again. She'd been so nervous about telling them, but they'd been nothing but loving and supportive of her through her transition. "I guess I just wasn't expecting that reaction."

"Well, trans or cis, I think you're gorgeous, so you can jot that down."

Gods, Blake could lose herself in that smile, in those lavender pools. She thought she knew what being in love was like, but she was so so wrong. In that moment she decided that she didn't care what sort of past-life baggage existed between the two of them, she wanted Yang. She wanted this amazing woman to be in her life for the rest of eternity, and for all of her lives after this one, just like the ones that came before. Her fingers tightened around the ones intertwined with hers.

"Can I kiss you?" she asked.

Her only answer was a blinding smile, and then there were lips on hers. Her eyes drifted shut and she lost herself in the warmth that was Yang. Her lips were softer than she had expected, but they fit so perfectly together,slotting together like puzzle pieces. Like this was where she belonged, where they were both meant to be.

All good things must come to an end however, and she eventually pulled back from the kiss. Her hands had made their way up around Yang's neck, and their smiles mirrored each other. She boldly placed another quick peck on the blonde's lips before leaving the embrace and giving her a playful shove.

"Alright, you should go get ready," she said through her smile. "We do have a show to put on after all."

"Fine, fine, I do have a very special guest in the audience tonight after all."

"Oh?" Blake asked, suddenly confused, "Who's that?"

Yang poked her nose.

"You, dingus."

She scrunched her nose and shook her head, giving Yang a glare with no heat.

"Well I'm not technically going to be in the audience," she pointed out.

"Tomato, potato," Yang waved her off, Blake rolled her eyes.

"Hey Yang?" The blonde looked back at her. "You didn't play Life After Life during soundcheck."

"Oh don't worry," Yang winked, "Just make sure you stick around for the encore."

The other woman turned and left the booth, blowing a kiss over her shoulder as she went. Blake glanced at the pile of paperwork still sitting untouched on her desk. It was never going to get done at this rate. She caught Sun out of the corner of her eye, sitting behind the sound console and giving her a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes and waved him off.

Blake then finally turned to her own console for what felt like the first time that day. She'd started up the system and run through everything to make sure it was all working before the band had showed up, but that felt like it was a decade ago after everything that had happened. She ran her hand over one of the screens to brush off the dust that had been accumulating. A flick of the mouse and the machine came out of sleep mode.

The TourPig 3000 was a large, purple control console with a pair of touch screens set into the upper section. The lower half of the surface was covered in a bank of faders and a myriad of buttons that would be indecipherable to anyone who didn't know what they were doing. Luckily Blake knew what she was doing.

Deft fingers danced across the touch screens, activating a pre-programmed set of scenes and cue-lists. The harsh work lights that had illuminated the stage up until now suddenly went out. In their place, the array of proper production lights kicked on. The stage lit up in a myriad of colors as Blake ran the lights through their presets to make sure everything was still working. In the end she settled on a mix of blues and pinks, a nice walk-in look for the patrons that would be arriving shortly.

It was just in time too, because the first of the night's patrons had been let in by Jeb. They meandered onto the main floor of the venue and began to gather in front of the stage. Sun had set some appropriate house music, quiet punk tones filtering through the speakers to set the mood for the evening. The dull murmur of voices slowly began to compete with the music as more and more people made their way into the club.

The show had sold well, so the club would be packed tonight. It seemed that despite their youth, Chromatic Sunrise had built up quite a following already. She grabbed the sheet that Yang had given her earlier, glancing over the set list one more time. Most of the directions were just simple color recommendations, with a few notes on style here and there. When Blake finally made it down to the end of the list, the song 'Life After Life' was listed last. The only note listed for this song was jotted down in Yang's hasty scrawl and simply read "Go with your heart."

She smiled at the little heart that had been drawn next to the note and set the list on her desk, where she could easily see it as she worked.

Soon enough, the half an hour or so that had been set aside for the club to fill up had come and gone. It was just about time for Chromatic Sunrise to finally take the stage, and Blake's heart was suddenly beating out of her chest. She glanced down at Sun, who was set up on the floor near the back of the venue with the audio console, and the monkey faunus flashed her a thumbs up. Go time.

A tap on the screen, and a command executed. The house lights in the club flickered off, plunging the room into darkness. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as the band took the stage in the dark. Blake hovered her hand over another command on the console, waiting for the right moment...

The guitar screeched and Blake brought her finger down.

The stage lit up in a storm of red and blue. Sharp beams shot past the band members, catching them in sharp silhouette as the guitar riffs poured out over the crowd. Then, as Yang stepped up to the mic, Blake's finger flicked another command, throwing a spotlight over the lead singer. Her heart almost stopped when she saw Yang's outfit.

The entire band had changed into their stage costumes, and they were certainly something. Ilia sat behind the drumkit in a pair of bright pink pants and a sleeveless, iridescent leather jacket. Her hair was tied up in its usual ponytail and a pair of rainbow wristbands sat on her arms. The twins (Melanie and Miltia Malachite, she'd finally learned) were in matching outfits; impressive heeled boots that laced up to their knees, frilly lace-lined dresses (Magenta for Miltia, white for Melanie), and jagged chokers around their necks.

And then there was Yang.

Blake's soulmate stepped into the spotlight in a pair of fishnet leggings that disappeared into denim short-shorts. She wore a matching iridescent leather vest, with gold spikes in the shoulders. Under the jacket was a bright yellow tank top with the same burning heart symbol stylized on it. And then there was her hair. The massive blonde mane was tied up in a high ponytail, and it was sprayed with streaks of pink and blue. The whole outfit was tied together with some knee-high converse. Blake knew those shoes were a terrible idea. Yang probably did too, but she wore them anyway and somehow made them work.

The look absolutely floored Blake, and she almost missed her next cue.

She somehow managed to get herself under control and run the rest of the song, but she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Chromatic Sunrise moved onto their next song, and the beating didn't slow. Her heart pounded along to the drumbeat, and it was a good thing she knew what she was doing because she was having one hell of a time focusing on her job.

Just like during soundcheck, the music of this band and the honey-sweet voice of Yang Xiao Long trickled through her ears and settled inside of her like a second sun. As their set carried on, Blake's heart only beat faster. Her cheeks were flushed and her palms were sweating as they slowly made their way down the set list. Closer and closer to their encore...

And then the crowd was cheering, and the band was walking offstage. Yang gave her a wave and blew her a kiss over the crowd, and Blake felt her mouth go dry. The stage went dark, the house lights stayed off. The audience continued to scream and applaud, and after a few moments, Yang was marching back onstage with her trademark smile on her face.

"Alright, we've got one more for you guys!" The crowd went wild. "And this one... this one goes out to someone special tonight. I hope she enjoys it."

Yang stepped back from the microphone, eyes locked on the DJ booth. Blake knew there was no way she could see her through the lights.

So she cut them. She cut them all, and the crowd was gone, the board was gone, The Menagerie was gone, and there was nothing between the two of them but the empty black as Yang softly began to sing.

_In another life, in another place...  
_ _I heard your voice, I knew your face..._

Blake remembered the note on the set list. "Go with your heart," It had said. Her heart didn't seem particularly reliable right now, considering it was trying to beat itself out of her chest. She pushed one of the faders on the console slowly up. A dim purple spotlight lit Yang up from behind, lighting up her hair in an iridescent halo. She'd let it down for this last song; her voice pitched up as she continued to sing.

_It's been a thousand years,  
_ _It's been a hundred lives,  
_ _And now my biggest fear,  
_ _Is that this time, you won't be here!_

The drums crashed, and Blake's fingers danced across the controls of her console. It felt like she wasn't even thinking. The music flowed through her, swirled in her chest, and exited through her fingers into the lighting system. The stage lit up as the rest of the band joined in, a heavy drumbeat and Miltia's fingers dancing up and down her guitar. Yang stepped out off the stage, one foot on the barricade, and screamed the next lines into her microphone.

_Baby I think we're Soulmates!  
_ _Baby we were meant to be!  
_ _This time I know my fate,  
_ _Me with you, and you with me!_

Yang's lavender eyes were locked on Blake. Her heart was beating frantically as her fingers danced. She couldn't take her eyes off of the singer, and electricity danced between them once more.

_I followed you there,  
_ _You followed me here,  
_ _Life after life,  
_ _Year after year!_

Something stirred in her chest, and for the second time that day, Blake was somewhere that she wasn't. A massive castle loomed in front of her, and she saw a flash of gold out of the corner of her eye.

_You're just a face in the crowd,  
_ _But I still know you somehow._

Two worlds were blending together in front of her eyes. She saw Yang singing on stage/she saw Yang flying through the air towards her, one of her arms missing at the elbow.

_I see your face in my dreams,  
_ _And I don't know what that means._

She triggered a command, and patterns of light swirled over the quartet of women on stage. Her mind's eye saw the blonde singer looking back at her over her shoulder, perched on a yellow and black motorcycle. She'd stepped back off of the barricade, but their eyes had never left one another.

_I hope this time you'll stay,  
_ _And we can find our own way,_

This time her heart ached. She saw Yang; lying in a bed, broken and empty. Her eyes filled with tears. She knew she'd left her there, alone and despondent. How could she have done that? Her cheeks felt wet and she struggled to breathe.

_I've loved you a thousand times,  
_ _And every day I hope you'll be mine._

Tears fell freely down her face. She saw her girlfriend's halo of blonde hair over the shoulder of a red-headed man. Each of them clutching one half of a blade that pierced his chest. She was free. Free to be herself, free to be with Yang. The singer stepped up to the barricade once again, and Blake hit a command. Bright white audience blinders lit up the club.

_Baby I think we're soulmates!  
_ _Baby we were meant to be!  
_ _This time I know my fate,  
_ _Me with you, and you with me!_

Yang reached out a hand towards Blake as she sang.

_I followed you there,  
_ _You followed me here!  
_ _Life after life,  
_ _Year after year!_

And Blake saw her, glowing and resplendent, dressed in a gorgeous, pale yellow wedding dress. And she saw herself take her wife's hands, felt her lips on hers. The crowd of friends and family around them cheered/the audience in the room roared.

_Life after Life!  
_ _(Year after year)_

The twins had stepped up to their own microphones, echoing Yang's lines.

_Another Life!  
_ _(Another place)  
_ _Another Voice!  
_ _(Another face)_

Lavender eyes met amber. Lightning struck between them, their hearts melded as one.

_Is this our fate?  
_ _(our fate)  
_ _I think we're soulmates...  
_ _(soulmates...)_

The lyrics faded, Ilia taking over with the drums as Miltia screamed a guitar solo. Yang stepped back and lowered her microphone, keeping her eyes above the crowd. Blake’s fingers danced, and the lights danced with them; flashing over the band and sending colorful patterns spinning over the audience. And then, with a crash of symbols, the lights went out and the song was over. The purple spotlight returned and Yang's silhouette held up a hand to the audience as they roared and screamed.

"Thank you and goodnight!"

And just like that, it was over. The lights in the club came back up, and quiet house music echoed out over the emptying room. Blake finally felt like she could breathe again. She collapsed onto the stool behind her, breathing heavy as she wiped her eyes and let out a quiet sob.

She knew now. She remembered it all. Somehow that song had brought it all rushing back. The good, the bad, and... everything she'd ever done. The blonde beauty on that stage was her wife, and they'd been through hell and back together. Blake Belladonna smiled through her tears, and a moment later Yang Xiao Long was dashing into the booth and they were kissing. It was frantic, sloppy, like they didn't know if they would ever touch each other again. It took her a moment to realize there were tears on Yang's cheeks too.

"I remembered," she whispered against her former wife's lips, "I remembered everything."

"So did I," Yang choked out, "I could barely keep singing..."

Their hands tangled in each other's hair. Bodies slotting together again like they were just built that way. She pulled back and found herself drowning in lavender. Words climbed up her throat unbidden, but truer than any others she'd every spoken.

"I love you, Yang Xiao Long."

"I love you too, Blake Belladonna," that smile, that beautiful, shining smile, "Come with us. We can finish our tour together and then... I don't know. But I want it to be with you."

She could never say no to that smile.

  
  



End file.
